Magnetic pull-apart key holder



July 21, 1964 BEY MAGNETIC PULL-APART KEY HOLDER Filed Sept'. 19 1962 luvemon AHMET K BeY Wkw A-r'rv.

United States Patent 3,141,214 MAGNETIC PULL- ART KEY HOLDER Ahmet K. Bey, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Power Brake Parts Manufacturing Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Filed Sept. 19, 1962, Ser. No. 224,685 2 Claims. (Cl. 24201) The instant invention relates to key holders. Particularly, it relates to pull-apart key holders.

There have been a plurality of recent innovations in the key holder art. To competitively manufacture, it is, therefore, necessary to drive down manufacturing costs. The pull-apart key holder art relates to devices each of which comprises a body on which keys are adapted to be held, and a removable part, removably connected with the body for holding one or more additional keys. The purpose of such devices is to separate the keys when required, and to provide mean-s for reassembly of the entire key holder when it is desired to put the keys back together again.

Employing a magnetic device for pulling apart and reassembly of various groups of keys on a common body provides excellent means, and in accordance with the instant invention, and as an object thereof, I have provided a unique and inexpensively fabricated magnetic key holder.

It is an additional object of the invention to provide a magnetic key holding device comprising few easily assembled components.

Other and further objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and the numerals of reference thereon.

On the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the device, illustrating the manner in which the same is employed.

FIG. 2 is an exploded or blown-apart view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the embodiment.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the device comprises a solid magnet 10. The magnet is preferably of ferrite or ceramic fabrication. It is preferred, but not necessary, that the magnet be of cylindrical form. However, the exterior shape of the magnet is not critical to the invention.

The magnet illustrated in the drawings is polarized transverse to the longitudinal axis of the form comprising the cylindrical magnet 10. Restated, the polarization is transverse to the longitudinal axis of the magnet 10. Polarizing in this fashion will provide two connected-ta gether half-cylinders, one of which is polarized North, and the other of which is polarized South. I shall refer to these halves as hemi-cylinders. The poles are respectively identified, on the drawings, as N and S.

The interior surfaces (not shown) of the hemi-cylinders extend longitudinally of the longitudinal axis of the magnet 10. It is appreciated, of course, that on the polarization of the magnet, the small band which joins the North hemi-cylinder with the South hemi-cylinder will provide a plane in which the magnetic force is practically non-existent, and as we move outwardly from such plane, the magnetic strength of the magnetic surface increases to positions on the magnet where there is a maximum North Pole and a maximum South Pole.

A pair of pole plates or members 11 and 12 are provided. The pole members 11 and 12, in the embodiment illustrated, are arcuately shaped. The pole member 11 is centered on the North polar surface of magnet 10, and the pole member 12 is centered on the South polar surface of magnet 10. These pole members are fabricated "ice from a magnetizable material having low magnetic retentivity and low magnetic reluctance. An example of such material is soft steel. The pole plates 11 and 12, respectively, preferably have their centers disposed against or adjacent the respective polar surfaces to which they are connected at points on the magnet of strongest polar intensity. The connection of the pole plates 11 and 12 and the magnet 10 is by an adhesive material, such as a nonmagnetic synthetic resin or the like.

A housing or cover 13 of cylindrical form is provided. The housing 13 is of non-magnetic fabrication, and its form accommodates the magnet 10 with the connectedtogether pole plates 11 and 12, in the manner illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. That is to say, the interior curvature of the cylindrical portion of housing 13 is substantially the same as, although slightly larger than, the exterior diameter, taken through the magnet 10, with plates 11 and 12 mounted thereon.

It is seen by reference to FIG. 3 that the height of plates 11 and 12 is slightly longer than the height of the magnet 10. However, this is not critical to the invention; but better results are procured if the extensions 14, shown in FIG. 3, are provided on the plates 11 and 12. Such extensions 14 are secured to a housing closure 15.

The housing closure 15 is illustrated as being integral with the housing 13 and, in actual use, the device may be so fabricated. The housing closure 15, like the housing 13 proper, is fabricated of non-magnetic material. There is rigidly secured to the closure 15 a hook or eyelet member 16, providing the means by which an openable chain 17 adapted to carry keys 28 may be releasably mounted on housing 13. Other suitable fasteners secured on the closure 15 may be used, in lieu of the hook or eyelet 16. This will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

It is appreciated that the housing 13 is rigidly secured on the plates 11 and 12. This may be done by a nonmagnetic synthetic resin, or any other suitable connecting means.

Additionally, it is seen that the length of the longitudinal axis of the magnet 10 is greater than the diameter of the cylinder forming the magnet.

There is provided a disc-like pull piece 18, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. The diameter of the pull piece 18 is less than the diameter of the cylindrical housing 13. The pull piece 18, however, is of sufficient diameter to enable it to simultaneously engage the plates 11 and 12 when it is inserted in the uncapped end 19 of the cylindrical housing 13. The pull piece 18 is fabricated of a magnetizable material, such as soft steel, preferably of low magnetic reluctance and of low magnetic retentivity, and, when inserted in the housing 13, in the position shown in FIG. 3, it is gripped by the pole members or plates 11 and 12. The gripping ends 20 and 21 of pole plates 11 and 12 may be extended slightly from the end surface 22 of the magnet 10 to space the pull member 18, when mounted, from the end 22 of the magnet 10. While such spacing is not critical to the invention, it has been demonstrated that the provision of a small air gap 23 increases the effectiveness of the magnetic gripping on the disc-like pull piece 18.

The pull piece 18 may be provided with a hook or eyelet member 24 which, at its inner end, is secured to or integral with the pull piece 18. The eyelet member 24 provides the means by which a releasable ring or chain 25 may be connected to the pull piece 18. The chain 25 is adapted to releasably retain a key 26, as illustrated in FIG. 1.

An intended pulling force on the pull piece 18 is sufficient to break the magnetic gripping thereon, induced by the pole plates 11 and 12. This, of course, separates keys held on the housing portion 13 from the keys connected to the pull piece 18, and provides a convenient and inexpensive pull-apart key holder.

To reconnect the pull piece 18 to the key holder device, one need only insert the pull piece 18 into the open end 19 of the. cylindrical housing 13 into engagement with the pole plates 11 and 12. This results in a magnetic gripping which will keep the parts connected together from ordinary non-intentional forces. Further protection and a guide for centering pull piece 18 is provided by an extension 27 of the cylindrical housing 13, beyond the pullpiece-connecting ends 20 and 21 of the pole plates 11 and 12.

As many changes or substitutions could be made in the above described construction, and as many apparently widely different embodiments of the invention Within the scope of the claims could be constructed Without departing from the scope and spirit thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as being illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A pull-apart key holder comprising a magnet having a longitudinal axis longer than the width of said magnet, said magnet polarized transversely of the longitudinal axis thereof; a magnetizable pole plate secured against each polar face of the magnet, said pole plates having extensions extending beyond one end of said magnet; a

non-magnetic housing mounted about said magnet and pole plates and having an end opening extending beyond said extensions, and a magnetizable pull member having a solid flat face magnetically retained in said end opening by engagement of said face against the ends of said pole plates.

2. A pull-apart key holder comprising a non-magnetic housing closed at one end and open at an opposite end thereof; a magnet having a longitudinal axis longer than the width of said magnet and disposed in said housing, said magnet polarized transversely of the longitudinal axis thereof; a magnetizable pole plate secured against each polar face of said magnet, each of said pole plates having an end extension extending outwardly from said magnet and spaced inwardly from the open end of said housing, and a magnetizable pull member having a flat inner face magnetically retained within the walls of said housing against said end extensions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,483,031 Avedon Sept. 27, 1949 2,793,552 Clark May 28, 1957 2,975,497 Budreck Mar. 21, 1961 3,009,225 Budreck Nov. 21, 1961 3,025,559 Basinger Mar. 20, 1962 3,063,1'18 Salter et al Nov. 13, 1962 

1. A PULL-APART KEY HOLDER COMPRISING A MAGNET HAVING A LONGITUDINAL AXIS LONGER THAN THE WIDTH OF SAID MAGNET, SAID MAGNET POLARIZED TRANSVERSELY OF THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS THEREOF; A MAGNETIZABLE POLE PLATE SECURED AGAINST EACH POLAR FACE OF THE MAGNET, SAID POLE PLATES HAVING EXTENSIONS EXTENDING BEYOND ONE END OF SAID MAGNET; A NON-MAGNETIC HOUSING MOUNTED ABOUT SAID MAGNET AND POLE PLATES AND HAVING AN END OPENING EXTENDING BEYOND SAID EXTENSIONS, AND A MAGNETIZABLE PULL MEMBER HAVING A SOLID FLAT FACE MAGNETICALLY RETAINED IN SAID END OPENING BY ENGAGEMENT OF SAID FACE AGAINST THE ENDS OF SAID POLE PLATES. 